in surprise, and a little crease
deepened in the sunny brow as she flung the curls aside. She wore no hat
of any kind in summer.

"Yes, it is a round world with seas and oceans and land on both sides.
And it keeps going round."

"But, Monsieur," as he made a motion with his hand to describe it, "why
does not the water spill out and the ground slide off? What makes
it--oh, how can it stick?" with a laugh of incredulity.

"Because a wisdom greater than all of earth rules it. Are there no
schools in Detroit?"

"The English have some and there is the Recollet house and the sisters.
But they make you sit still, and presently you go to Montreal or Quebec
and are a nun, and wear a long, black gown, and have your head tied up.
Why, I should smother and I could not hear! That is so you cannot hear
wicked talk and the drunken songs, but I love the birds and the wind
blowing and the trees rustling and the river rushing and beating up in a
foam. And I am not afraid of the Indians nor the _shil loups_," but she
lowered her tone a trifle.

"Do not put too much trust in the Indians, Mam'selle. And there is the
_loup garou_--"

"But I have seen real wolves, Monsieur, and when they bring in the furs
there are so many beautiful ones. Madame De Ber says there is no such
thing as a _loup garou_, that a person cannot be a man and a wolf at the
same time. When the wolves and the panthers and the bears howl at night
one's blood runs chilly. But we are safe in the stockade."

"There is much for thee to learn, little one," he said, after a pause.
"There must be schools in the new country so that all shall not grow up
in ignorance. Where is thy father?"

Jeanne Angelot stared straight before her seeing nothing. Her father?
The De Bers had a father, many children had, she remembered. And her
mother was dead.

The address ended and there was a thundering roll of drums, while
cheers went up here and there. Cautious French habitans and traders
thought it wiser to wait and see how long this standard of stripes and
stars would wave over them. They were used to battles and conquering and
defeated armies, and this peace they could hardly understand. The
English were rather sullen over it. Was this stripling of newfound
liberty to possess the very earth?

The crowd surged about. Pani caught the arm of her young charge and drew
her aside. She was alarmed at the steady scrutiny the young man had
given her, though it was chiefly as to some str